Electrical stimulation leads for providing medical therapy are being used in an increasing number of applications. Leads have been implanted in patients' hearts, along the spinal column, and in other loctions to deliver appropriate therapy. Increasingly leads are implanted in veins, arteries, or other lumens to stimulate tissue near the lumens.
The implantation of electrical leads in lumens presents opportunities because the leads can be fed into the patient's body and implanted without the surgery necessary to install nerve cuffs and other surgically implanted electrodes. Implanting leads in lumens also reduces the possibility of post-surgical trauma or damage to the tissue being stimulated. Difficulties associated with implanting leads in lumens include issues with lead movement or migration and difficulty orienting the lead and electrodes.